DUKE 
UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


?      Sfrarts  far  itlisBionarg  M^t. 


WHAT   IS  TRUTH^ 


BY 

THE  ET.  REV.  THOMAS  ATKINSOIf,  D.D- 

BISHOP  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


'Neixj  gork : 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  TRACT  SOCIETY  ^ 
No.  6  CooPEB  Union,  Fourth  Ayencs. 


IVo.  246. 


P.  32. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  vear  1S59. 
By  DANIEL  DANA,  Jr., 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


THE  FLOWERS  COllECTION 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


This  question  was  asked  of  Him,  who  came 
into  the  world  specially  to  bear  witness  to  the 
Truth,  and  who  is  Himself  essentially  the  Truth ; 
its  object,  as  well  as  its  Eevealer.  He  who  pro- 
pounded the  question,  was  unhappy,  impious 
Pilate. 

The  Saviour  of  mankind  was  then  experien- 
cing the  fulfilment  of  those  prophecies  which  an- 
nounced His  deepest  humiliation  and  misery. 
Deserted  and  denied  by  His  disciples.  He  had 
already  been  dragged  before  one  and  another 
unjust  tribunal.  At  the  bar  of  Caiaphas  He 
had  endured  a  mock  trial,  and  been  condemned 
without  evidence.  But  the  malice  of  His  ene- 
mies had  outstripped  their  power.  Though  they 
could  condemn,  they  could  not  execute  their 
sentence;  for  'Hhe  Sceptre  had  now  departed 


4 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


from  Judah,  and  tlie  Lawgiver  from  between 
his  feet." 

In  this  dilemma,  then,  the  infuriated  Priests 
and  Levites  sacriJ&ce  the  sentiments  and  instincts 
which  heretofore  had  been  the  most  cherished, 
and  the  most  powerful  in  their  bosoms;  their 
jealousy  of  heathen  interference  in  their  national, 
and,  especially,  in  their  Ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment ;  their  abhorrence  of  that  stern  Roman 
domination  which  humiliated,  even  more  than  it 
oppressed  them.  They  sacrifice  even  these  pow- 
erful passions  to  that  furious  and  almost  diabol- 
ical hatred  of  the  Holy  Jesus  which  had  be- 
come the  master-princij^le ;  which  had  now,  like 
Aaron's  rod,  swallowed  up,  as  it  were,  the  other 
serpents  that  infested  their  bosoms. 

Urged  on  by  this  rage,  they  appeal,  of  their 
own  accord,  to  that  Jurisdiction,  which,  at  other 
times,  they  were  willing  to  shed  their  blood 
rather  than  acknowledge  ;  they  demand  of  the 
Koman  Governor  the  death  of  their  prisoner. 
Pontius  Pilate  thus  appealed  to,  is  greatly  at  a 
loss.  He  knew,  none  better,  the  wickedness  of 
these  men,  and  he,  no  doubt,  scorned,  like  Gallio, 
all  these  questions  concerning  their  Law ;  a  Law 
which  he  never  heard  invoked  except  in  the  in- 
terests of  spiritual  pride,  ambition,  or  malice. 
But  he  himself  was  far  from  being  immaculate, 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


5 


and  lie  dreaded  to  provoke  still  further  the 
hostility  of  men  whom  he  had  hitherto  repeat- 
edly outraged,  and  who  were  already  demanding 
at  the  Imperial  Court  his  recall  and  disgrace. 

His  feelings  of  justice  and  duty  point  one 
way ;  his  apparent  interest  another.  What  shall 
he  do  ? 

He  seeks,  in  the  first  instance,  to  extract  from 
our  Saviour's  own  lips  a  justification  of  the 
course  which  his  interest  prompts  him  to  pur- 
sue. But  our  Lord,  who  thoroughly  reads  his 
heart,  will  not  allow  him  thus  to  hide  his  base- 
ness. Observe,  in  this  point  of  view,  the  ques- 
tions which  Pilate  asks,  and  the  answers  he  re- 
ceives. "Art  thou,"  says  he,  "the  king  of  the 
Jews  ? "  If  Jesus  Christ  now  merely  says,  yes, 
as  in  effect  He  had  often  before  done;  if  now 
He  says,  simply  and  absolutely,  yes ;  then  Pilate 
can  at  once  condemn  Him  as  guilty  of  high  trea- 
son, as  the  rival  of  Csesar.  Our  Saviour,  with 
admirable  wisdom,  replies :  "  My  kingdom  is  not 
of  this  world."  His  authority,  then,  is  in  no  re- 
spect antagonistic  to  that  of  Caesar,  nor  a  just 
object  of  jealousy  to  the  officers  of  Caesar;  for 
Caesar's  authority  is  of  this  world.  This  world 
is  the  only  world  for  which  Caesar  cares ;  tl^^ 
only  world  in  which  Caesar  believes.  And  our 
Lord  goes  on  further  to  explain  that  His  king- 


6 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


dom  is  a  moral  and  spiritual  one ;  that  He  rules 
by  the  power  of  Truth,  and  that  all  who  are  of 
the  Truth  obey  Him. 

To  this  Pilate  replies,  "What  is  Truth?" 
"What  does  the  unhappy  man  mean  by  this 
question  ?  Does  he  ask  in  good  faith,  in  an 
humble  and  teachable  spirit,  that  he  may  really 
learn  the  doctrines  of  the  remarkable  Person 
who  then  stood  before  him ;  and,  if  they  com 
mended  themselves  to  his  reason  and  conscience, 
embrace  them  ?  Alas  !  unhappily  for  him,  this 
could  not  have  been  his  meaning;  for  he  does 
not  even  wait  for  an  answer,  but  immediately 
goes  out,  this  question  unresolved. 

I  think  it  clear  that  he  is  speaking  in  the 
spirit  of  irony  and  derision,  and  his  question  is 
itself  a  sarcasm.  It  is  as  if  he  had  said  to  his 
prisoner.  Yours  is  indeed,  by  your  own  account  of 
it,  a  notable  mission !  You  poor  man,  whom  the 
menials  buffet,  whom  the  very  abjects  trample 
on ;  you  have  come  to  bear  witness  to  the  Truth ! 
What  is  this  truth  ?  Who  knows  it  ?  When 
was  it  ascertained  ?  There  are  opinions  without 
number,  one,  perhaps,  as  good  and  as  certain  as 
another.  But  Truth,  free,  absolute  Truth,  who 
k^ows  it  ?    What  is  it  ? 

This  simple  question  reveals  to  us  the  man 
who  asked  it.    As  a  flash  of  lightning  in  a  dark 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH  ? 


night  gleams  upon  a  man  approaching  ns,  and 
enables  ns  in  an  instant  to  recognize  his  person 
and  countenance ;  so  these  three  words  of  Pon- 
tius Pilate  disclose  to  us  his  state  of  mind,  and 
character ;  for  three  words  spoken  in  an  earnest 
moment  are  worth  three  years  of  common-place 
talk,  in  enabling  us  to  know  a  man.  In  these 
words  we  recognize  the  utterance  of  a  troubled 
spirit,  which  doubts  every  thing ;  which  sees  no 
certainty  but  what  the  senses  teach.  Men  of 
this  sort  may  be  found  in  all  ages  and  states  of 
society ;  but  they  are  particularly  abundant  in 
an  age,  which  is,  on  the  one  hand,  sensual  and 
luxurious,  and  on  the  other,  inquisitive  and  en- 
lightened. Such  was  the  Augustan  age  in  Rome ; 
such  was  the  18th  century  in  France;  such,  I 
cannot  but  believe,  is  the  existing  era  in  our  own 
country. 

The  state  of  mind  characteristic  of  these  pe- 
riods is  not  natural  to  man,  but  is  a  disease,  the 
result  of  an  artificial  and  corrupt  condition  of 
Society.  Faith  is  natural  to  man ;  in  saying 
which,  however,  I  do  not  refer  to  Christian 
Faith,  for  that,  we  are  expressly  taught,  is  the 
gift  of  God  in  a  special  and  supernatural  sense 
(as  indeed  it  must  be  supernatural,  being  the  re- 
cipient and  correlative  of  a  supernatural  Revela- 
tion).   But  I  here  speak  of  Faith,  in  its  strictest 


s 


WHA.T  IS  TEUTH? 


and  most  elementary  sense,  as  the  power  of  be- 
lieving on  testimony.  This  is  an  original  faculty 
of  our  nature  of  the  highest  worth  and  most  in- 
dispensable necessity,,  which  may  be  affected  and 
influenced  by  reason,  by  prejudice,  and  by  pas- 
sion, but  has  an  origin  independent  of  them  all, 
and  may  work  apart  from  other  faculties,  or  con- 
currently with  them.  I  call  Faith  a  power. 
Many  look  on  it  as  not  much  more  than  a  weak- 
ness, confounding  it  with  credulity.  But  it  is  in 
fact  the  power,  by  which  a  man  is  fitted  for  life, 
as  well  as  for  eternity.  What  can  a  man  accom- 
plish without  Faith  ?  Our  daily  life  rests  on 
Faith.  We  go  forth  to  our  work  in*  Faith,  be- 
Ueving  that  we  shall  be  permitted  to  perform  it ; 
helieving  that,  in  some  way,  we  shall  be  reward- 
ed for  it;  helieving  that,  after  it,  we  shall  be 
allowed  rest  and  refreshment.  We  sleep  in 
Faith,  confiding  in  our 'safety;  helieving  that  no 
robber  or  assassin  is  at  hand  to  destroy  us.  We 
eat  in  Faith,  helieving  that  our  viands  contain  no 
deadly  poison,  no  nauseous  mixture.  We  learn 
by  Faith.  To  what  does  History  appeal  but* to 
Faith  ?  To  what  Geography  ?  To  what  Lan- 
guage ?  To  what  every  thing,  in  short,  save 
pure  Science  ?  Love  rests  on  Faith.  Without 
Faith,  conjugal  love  curdles  into  jealousy,  or 
blazes  out  into  fiery  wrath.    Without  Faith, 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


9 


parental  love  withers  and  dies  away.  We  live, 
even  in  this  world,  in  an  atmosphere  of  Faith, 
and  as  that  becomes  diluted,  we  faint ;  were  it 
exhausted,  we  perish. 

And  while  Faith  is  thus  necessary  for  our 
temporal  well-being,  it  is  more  especially  the 
instrument  of  our  spiritual  life.  God,  Provi- 
dence, Redemption,  Eternity,  Judgment,  Heaven 
and  Hell  are  perceived  and  realized  only  by  the 
light  of  Faith.  It  is,  to  use  the  grand  expression 
of  an  Apostle,  "  the  substance  of  things  hoped 
for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen." 

This  faculty  of  Faith  was,  no  doubt,  like  the 
other  powers  and  excellencies  of  man,  perfect  in 
our  state  of  primeval  integrity  and  holiness,  and 
has  been  weakened  by  the  Fall.  Even  now  we 
may  observe,  that  it  is  vigorous  and  active  in 
proportion  to  the  purity  and  innocence  of  him 
who  exercises  it.  Observe,  for  example,  a  young 
child,  in  whose  bosom  sin  still  lies  dormant,  and 
whose  face  is  yet  bright  with  the  reflection  of 
Heaven ;  observe  him  at  his  mother's  knee. 
With  what  unquestioning  and  absorbing  Faith 
he  listens  to  the  tale  she  tells  him,  the  counsels 
and  instructions  she  imparts !  How  does  he 
drink  in,  nourishment  from  her  soul,  as  when  an 
infant  he  had  imbibed  it  from  her  body;  and 
how  absolutely  he  yields  himself  to  the  impres- 


10 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


sion  whicli  she  desires  to  make !  But  alas !  as 
.  lie  advances  in  life ;  as  lie  finds  himself  in  an 
untruthful  and  treacherous  world ;  as  he  detects 
the  falsehoods  that  are  told  him ;  and  still  more, 
as  he  himself  becomes  corrupt  and  capable  of 
deceiving ;  he  becomes  likewise  suspicious,  skep- 
tical, and  incapable  of  believing.  For  falsehood 
in  ourselves  and  Faith  in  others,  are  necessary 
and  perpetual  antagonists. 

Society  is  made  up  of  individuals.  It  follows 
then,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  that  when  this 
individual  deterioration  becomes  general,  Society 
is  corrupted,  and  Faith  dissolves  and  dies  out  in 
its  midst. 

It  was  not  by  any  arbitrary,  or  accidental  con- 
nection, that  the  profligacy  of  French  Society  in 
the  early  and  middle  parts  of  the  18th  century, 
was  succeeded  by  the  infidelity  and  Atheism, 
which  so  darkened  and  desolated  that  Society  in 
the  last  few  years  of  the  same  century.  Kings, 
Priests,  and  Nobles  had  sowed  the  wind,  and  in 
due  time,  they  reaped  the  whirlwind.  The  prin- 
ciples and  practices  of  vice  were  with  them  the 
Dragon's  teeth ;  Anarchy  and  Atheism  were  the 
armed  men  that  sprang  therefrom. 

A  tendency  to  unbelief  is  strengthened  by 
other  influences,  with  which  we  are  experiment- 
ally very  well  acquainted. 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


11 


Wlien  Truth  is  the  subject  of  continued  dis- 
putation and  discussion ;  when  every  article  of 
a  people's  Creed  is  alternately  attacked  and  de- 
fended ;  when  the  tide  of  controversy  ebbs  at 
one  point,  only  to  swell  at  another ;  then  Taith 
wavers;  then,  flitting  over  these  angry  waters, 
like  the  Dove  in  the  Deluge,  she  finds  no  resting- 
place,  and  withdraws  from  the  tumultuous  scene. 

It  was  at  such  a  period  that  unhappy  Pilate 
lived.  His  was  a  vicious  age,  and  it  was,  more- 
over, a  controversial  age.  The  remains  of  Clas- 
sical Antiquity  which  have  come  down  to  us 
*  from  that  period,  admirable  .as  they  are  for  ge- 
nius, and  taste,  and  exquisite  felicity  of  language, 
yet  indicate  a  moral  unsoundness  scarcely  to  be 
conceived  by  those  who  live  under  Christian  in 
fluences. 

And  as  to  Religious  Truth,  all  was  doubt  and 
uncertainty.  The  speculations  of  some  of  the 
Philosophers,  if  not  borrowed  from  Asia,  and 
ultimately  from  Judea,  were  wonderful  efforts  of 
the  human  mind ;  sometimes  almost  like  antici- 
pations and  foreshado wings  of  the  peculiar  and 
mysterious  disclosm^es  of  the  Gospel.  But,  after 
all,  they  were  only  speculations.  These  philoso- 
phers had  no  standard  of  Truth ;  no  external 
testimony,  no  authenticated  facts  on  which  to 
base  their  reasonings.    And  the  human  mind 


12 


TTHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


demsLnds  facts^  p7'oofs^  authority.  It  cannot  rest 
on  speculations,  however  ingenious ;  it  cannot 
feed  on  cobwebs  spun  out  of  its  own  substance. 

A  Truth  which  is  not  proved,  is,  as  to  its  effect 
■upon  us,  as  a  Truth  which  does  not  exist.  And 
as  to  Moral  and  Theological  Truth,  nothing  was 
proved  in  that  old  pagan  world.  What  one 
Philosopher  advanced,  another  denied.  The  dis- 
ciple always  felt  himself  wiser  than  his  master ; 
and  when  he  in  his  turn  set  himself  to  be  a 
teacher,  his  first  task  was  to  demolish  the  edifice 
his  predecessor  had  reared,  in  order  to  clear  the 
ground  for  his  own  structure. 

In  such  a  state  of  things,  there  could  be  no 
deep  and  earnest  Faith.  The  most  essential  and 
sacred  truths  came,  after  a  while,  to  be  regarded 
as  mere  theories ;  ingenious  perhaps,  plausible, 
beautiful,  but  not  certain ;  which  their  very  ad- 
vocates maintained  with  a  per  ad  venture. 

It  was  under  such  influences,  practical  and 
speculative,  that  Pilate  was  reared  ;  and  as  a 
Soldier  and  a  Courtier,'  he  probably  partook  of 
them  to  the  full.  When  Jesus  spoke  of  Truth ; 
that  is,  of  Religious  Truth ;  He  seemed  to  Pilate 
to  babble.  What  cared  Pilate  for  Truth  ?  How 
did  he  know  that  there  was  any  truth,  except 
such  as  his  bodily  senses  attested?  He  knew 
that  Falernian  wine  had,  in  its  way,  a  sort  of 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


13 


truth ;  there  was  reality  in  it.  And  so  with  a 
well-filled  purse;  and  a  retinue  of  slaves;  and  a 
marble  palace  -at  Rome  ;  and  a  sea-side  villa  on 
the  Gampanian  shore.  And  he  knew  very  well 
that  he  had  a  master  who  was  cruel  and  sus- 
picious to  the  last  degree ;  who,  for  very  slight 
cause,  would  con^gn  him  to  the  dungeon  or  the 
block. 

He  seems  to  have  been  heartily  desirous, 
especially  after  his  discourse  with  our  Lord,  to 
spare  the  blood  of  that  Innocent  One  who  stood 
before  him.  But,  how  can  he  safely  do  this  ? 
The  Prisoner  indeed  tells  him  that  He  is  a  wit- 
ness for  the  Truth.  But,  what  of  that  ?  What 
will  Truth  avail  him  if  he  discharge  the  accused 
person  ?  Will  Truth  calm  a  violent  and  factious 
mob,  urged  on  by  crafty  and  unscrupulous  hypo- 
crites ?  Will  Truth  satisfy  a  sanguinary  Despot, 
who  revels  in  human  blood  like  a  tiger?  In 
short,  is  Truth  of  any  practical  value  ?  is  it  worth 
any  thing  in  the  market  ?  Has  it  ever  fed  a 
man,  or  clothed  him,  or  turned  the  edge  of  an 
executioner's  axe  ?  In  short,  "  What  is  Truth 
impatiently  and  scornfully  asks  Pontius  Pilate. 

And  are  there  none  who  speak  the  same 
language  at  the  present  day,  at  least  in  heart  ? 
Depend  upon  it,  there  are  many.  Our  age  is  a 
vicious  age,  if  Murder,  Adultery,  Burglary,  Rob- 


14 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


bery,  Peculation,  Fraud,  Theft,  and  Imposture 
constitute  vice.  Our  age  is  controversial  also. 
We  generally  call  ourselves  Christians,  but  we 
dispute  about  the  very  first  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity ;  and  in  all  the  little  villages  in  our  land, 
not  large  enough,  frequently,  for  a  single  vig- 
orous congregation,  there  are  usnally  three,  four, 
five,  or  six  religious  parties,  watching  each  other, 
contending  with  each  other,  and,  not  unfrequent- 
ly,  reviling  each  other.  What  is  the  result  ? 
Charity  is  cold,  and  Faith  weak ;  for  how  can 
Faith  be  strong  in  tenets  that  are  merely  the 
foot-balls  of  contending  parties  ?  When  religious 
Truth  is  presented,  not  so  much  to  be  believed 
and  acted  on,  as  to  be  discussed  and  argued  for ; 
what  result  is  possible  except  that  there  can  be 
no  deep  Faith?  Many  persons  seem  to  think, 
like  Pilate,  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  Truth ; 
or  what  is  equivalent,  that  there  is  no  means  of 
ascertaining  it ;  for  "  a  Truth  not  proved,  is  to 
us  as  a  Truth  which  does  not  exist." 

There  are  many  persons,  however,  who,  having 
no  hope  of  ascertaining  religious  Truth,  rest  now 
in  the  opinion  that,  in  inquiries  concerning  re- 
ligion. Truth  is  not  important,  but  only  a  sincere 
belief  of  what  we  profess  to  believe.  It  is 
thought  neither  reasonable  nor  charitable,  to 
condemn  a  man  for  religious  error,  if  he  hold  it 


WHAT  IS  TKUTH?  15 

sincerely.  Sincerity,  in  short,  is  made  tlie  same 
thing  with  Truth. 

But,  are  they  the  same  thing  ?  Truth,  with- 
out sincerity,  will,  of  course,  avail  us  nothing ; 
but  of  what  avail  will  sincerity  be,  without 
Truth  ?  If  that  were  sufficient,  how  unreasona- 
ble and  unjust  was  it  in  St.  Paul,  to  call  himself 
the  chief  of  sinners,  because  he  persecuted  the 
Church  of  God !  for,  at  the  time  he  did  this,  he 
sincerely  believed  he  was  thereby  doing  God 
service.  If  sincerity,  without  Truth,  will  suffice, 
what  charge  can  be  brought  against  Bonner,  or 
Torquemada,  or  Julian  the  Apostate,  or  the  very 
Scribes  and  Pharisees  who  imbrued  their  harnds 
in  the  Saviour's  blood,  and  reviled  Him  on  the 
cross  ?  Who  can  say  that  these  men  were  insin- 
cere in  their  detestable  principles  of  conduct  ? 
If  sincerity  without  Truth  will  suffice,  what  e\il 
is  there  in  being  a  Turk,  or  a  Heathen,  if  we 
only  bring  ourselves  sincerely  to  embrace  these 
foul  superstitions?  But  the  principle,  if  true, 
ought  to  be  carried  further.  What  harm  is 
there  in  being  a  robber,  or  a  murderer,  if  we 
can  only  sear  the  conscience,  and  blunt  the 
moral  sense  enough  to  consider  robbery  and 
murder  lawful  ?  The  French  demagogue,  Marat, 
compared  with  whom  Pobespierre  was  forgiving, 
and  Danton  merciful,  expressedj  during  one  of 


16  WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


the  paroxysms  of  the  Great  Revolution,  the  con- 
viction, that  the  only  effectual  remedy  for  the 
evils  of  the  country  was,  to  cut  off  the  heads  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  Aristocrats. 
He  was  denounced  before  the  National  Conven- 
tion for  thus  instigating  wholesale  massacre.  His 
reply  was  very  short  and  plain.  ^''It  is^''  said  he, 
"  my  opinion^  No  doubt  it  was.  He  had 
reached  that  point  of  wickedness,  that,  like  a 
wolf,  he  loved  blood  for  its  own  sake.  But, 
what  reply  could  be  made  to  him,  if  sincerity  be 
the  same  thing  with  Truth  ? 

Such  views,  when  pushed  to  their  conse- 
quences, make  the  worst  men  the  best ;  for  it  is 
the  worst  men  who  most  sincerely  believe  their 
own  conduct  to  be  entirely  right,  because  they 
know  no  difference  between  right  and  wrong, 
between  good  and  evil. 

Be  assured,  my  friends,  in  order  to  be  right — 
in  order  to  be  safe — it  is  not  enough  to  be  sin- 
cere ;  it  is  necessary  to  hold  the  Truth  sincerely. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  Truth,  whatever  skep- 
tics, whatever  sensualists  may  say  to  the  con- 
trary. 

It  has  an  existence  independent  of  all  that 
men  think  concerning  it.  If  we  shut  our  eyes  to 
the  sun,  we  do  not  extinguish  it  thereby,  it  still 
shines  on ;  so,  if  we  remaiu  ignorant  of  the 


WHAT  IS  TKUTII  ? 


17 


Truth,  or  reject  it,  it  still  subsists.  Nay,  if  tlie 
whole  world  agrees  to  deny  it,  it  still  sub- 
sists. It  is  indeed  immortal.  Religious  Truth 
is  the  transci'ipt  of  the  Eternal  Ideas  in  the 
mind  of  God.  Error  is  of  the  earth,  earthy. 
Error  is  perishable.  Error  is  like  the  false 
lights  of  a  morass,  which  dance  about  the  trav- 
eller's path,  only  to  lead  him  astray,  and  them- 
selves speedily  to  disappear.  Truth  is  like  the 
light  of  the  stars  which  shine  on  the  mariner  as 
they  shone  on  his  Tyrian  predecessor  thousands 
of  years  ago,  to  guide  him  on  his  course,  and 
conduct  him  in  safety  to  the  haven  where  he 
would  be. 

Well,  then,  may  the  wise  man  say :  "  Buy  the 
truth  and  sell  it  not."  Buy  it  at  any  price  ;  sell 
it  at  no  price.  Buy  it  with  toil,  with  obloquy, 
with  suffering,  with  danger.  Sell  it  not  for 
money,  nor  fame,  nor  safety,  nor  popularity, 
nor  life. 

Truth  is  the  proper,  the  appointed  food  and 
medicine  for  the  soul.  The  soul  of  man  was 
made  to  receive  the  Truth,  as  his  bodily  eye  the 
light ;  and  as  light  is  sweet  to  the  eye,  so  is 
Truth  delightful  to  the  soul.  The  perception  ot 
a  new  Truth  cheers,  exalts,  and  invigorates  the 
soul.  And  this  is  especially  applicable  to  reli- 
gious Truth.    Religious  Ti'uth  is  that  which  per- 


18 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


tains  to  God,  to  tlie  spirit  of  man,  to  Eternity 
Of  all  Truth,  this  is  the  grandest,  the  noblest, 
the  most  refreshing.  It  is  this  especially  which 
strengthens  the  powers,  and  moulds  the  charac- 
ter, and  purifies  the  nature.  Sanctify  them 
through  Thy  Truth,"  says  our  Saviour.  And 
religious  error  is,  consequently,  of  all  errors,  the 
most  dangerous,  the  most  debasing,  the  most  to 
be  deplored.    There  is  no  question  then  so  vital 

as,  How  SHALL  WE  ASCEETAIN  ReLIGIOUS  TrUTH  ? 

In  pursuance  of  the  subject,  I  propose,  there- 
fore, to  consider  the  grounds  and  tests  of  reli 
gious  Truth. 

When  we  remember  the  infinite  importance  ot 
the  question :  What  is  Truth  ?  and  how  peculiar- 
ly He  to  whom  it  was  addressed  by  Pontius 
Pilate  was  fitted  to  answer  it,  we  cannot  but 
lament  that  the  proud  and  sensual  Governor  did 
not  wait  for  a  reply,  but  rose  up  and  left  his 
question  unresolved ;  thereby  cutting  himself  off, 
and  us  likewise,  from  the  benefits  of  that  reply 
which  Divine  Wisdom  might  have  vouchsafed. 
This  is  our  first,  spontaneous  feeling.  But  when 
we  consider  our  Lord's  discourses,  we  find  that 
He  has  not  left  us  in  entire  ignorance,  or  even 
in  any  serious  doubt  on  this  vital  subject.  He, 
and  His  Apostles  speaking  by  His  Spirit,  have, 
on  a  plain  and  fair  interpretation  of  their  lan- 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


19 


guage,  pointed  out  a  metliod  by  wliicli  we  may 
ascertain  all  religious  Truth  that  it  is  indispensa- 
ble, or  even  in  a  high  degree  important  for  us  to 
know.  He  has  told  us,  in  the  first  place,  what 
is  the  repository  of  Truth ;  the  fountain  from 
which  its  waters  flow.  He  says  to  His  Heavenly 
Father:  "  Sanctify  them  through  Thy  Truth.  Thy 
Word  is  Truth."  He  recognizes  here  the  func- 
tion of  Truth  to  sanctify,  and  He  points  out  the 
very  spring  from  which  we  are  to  draw  the  puri- 
fying stream.  It  is  the  Word  of  God.  We  may 
then  be  assured,  that  all  Truth  necessary  for 
man's  sanctification  here,  and  for  his  salvation 
hereafter,  is  contained  in  God's  Word. 

And  this  would  seem  to  result  from  the  very 
idea  of  a  Divine  Kevelation  to  mankind  for  their 
spiritual  good.  Such  a  Revelation  must  be  ef- 
fectual to  its  end,  because  it  comes  from  God, 
and  therefore  it  must  contain  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  salvation.  And  to  this  agrees  the  saying 
of  St.  Paul :  "  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspira- 
tion of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for 
reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in  right- 
eousness ;  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect, 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works." 

But,  though  Scripture  certainly  contains  all 
essential  religious  Truth,  is  it  certain  that  they 
who  read  the  Scriptures  draw  therefrom  this 


20 


WHAT  IS  TRTJTH? 


saving  TrutL,  pure  and  undefiled  ?  Wliat  is  the 
language  of  Scripture  itself  on  this  subject? 
While  the  Inspired  Writers  profess  to  teach 
Truth,  nothing  but  Truth,  and  all  necessary 
Truth ;  they  yet  warn  us,  that  they  may  be  so 
misinterpreted,  that  the  water  of  life  may  be  so 
tinctured  by  the  vessel  which  receives  it  as  to 
convey  poison,  rather  than  to  heal  the  soul. 
"  We  are,"  say  they,  "  a  sweet  savor  of  Christ  in 
them  that  are  saved,  and  in  them  that  perish. 
To  the  one,  we  are  the  savor  of  death  unto 
death ;  and  to  the  other,  the  savor  of  life  unto 
life."  And  so  again,  elsewhere  it  is  said,  that 
there  are  in  Scri]3ture  "  many  things  hard  to  be 
understood,  which  they  that  are  unlearned  and 
unstable,  wrest  to  their  own  destruction."  This 
then  is  the  testimony  of  Scripture  as  to  its  own 
effect :  that,  though  true  and  divine,  and,  to  him 
who  rightly  receives  it,  sanctifying  and  saving, 
it  is  not  necessarily  or  universally  so ;  but  that, 
because  of  the  ignorance  or  perversity  of  the 
hearer,  it  is  sometimes  -a  source  of  error,  and 
even  of  fatal,  ruinous  error. 

How  do  we  find  it  in  point  of  fact  ?  Is  this 
warning  verified  by  experience  ?  Incontestably 
it  is. 

AVhere  there  are  opposite  interpretations  of 
Scripture,  one,  at  least,  must  be  wrong.  Now, 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


21 


consider  the  contrarieties  of  belief  among  persons 
who  all  suppose  that  they  draw  their  Faith  from 
Scripture. 

There  is  a  large  body  who  understand  the 
Scriptures  as  teaching  Transubstantiation,  Pur- 
gatory, Worship  of  the  Saiuts  and  Adoration  of 
the  Virgin  Mary.  Another  large  class  of  per- 
sons, so  far  from  seeing  authority  for  these  doc- 
trines in  Scripture,  see  there,  as  they  believe,  the 
plainest  and  strongest  condemnation  of  them. 
There  are  those  again,  who  infer  from  Scripture 
that  Jesus  was  but  a  man,  and  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  but  an  influence.  Others,  on  the  con- 
trary, are  persuaded  by  the  same  Scriptures, 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  Very  God,  and  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  Personally  God. 

Now,  one  party  or  the  other  in  this  latter  con- 
troversy, for  instance,  does  certainly  mistake  the 
whole  sense  of  Scripture ;  for  every  doctrine  of 
Christ's  religion  depends  upon  what  Christ  Him- 
self was.  The  entire  meaning  of  the  Gospel 
then,  as  we  receive  it,  rests  on  what  we  think  of 
Christ.  But  the  sense  of  Revelation  is  the  Rev- 
elation. The  book  is  but  paper,  with  characters 
inscribed  on  it.  The  words  in  themselves  are 
but  sounds  or  marks.  The  sense,  the  thing 
said,  is  that  which  is  revealed.  When,  then,  two 
men  differ  entirel*^  about  their  religion,  they 


22 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


have  two  different  religions.  If,  for  example, 
Unitarians  are  right,  Trinitarians  are  idolaters ; 
if  Trinitarians  are  right.  Unitarians  are  unbe- 
lievers. 

Here,  then,  and  in  many  other  instances,  we 
have  different  classQs  of  persons,  drawing  oppo- 
site conclusions  from  the  same  Scriptural  teach- 
ings, and  one  side  or  the  other  necessarily  fall- 
ing into  error,  which  must  be  frequently  fatal 
error. 

How,  then,  shall  we  know  what  is  Truth  in 
the  interpretation  of  Scripture  ?  The  Scripture 
is,  indeed,  authenticated  by  miracles,  prophecies, 
by  its  own  tenor,  and  by  its  effects.  Truth  is 
there ;  but  how  shall  we  find  it,  and  know  that 
we  have  found  it?  The  treasure  is,  beyond 
doubt,  in  the  field,  but  how  shall  our  feet  be 
guided  with  certainty  to  the  precious  deposite  ? 
Yet,  it  is  all-important  to  find  it.  We  must  * 
draw  from  Scripture,  Truth  or  Error ;  and  what 
we  want  is  Truth.  Error  does  not  feed  the  soul, 
it  poisons  it.  Error  does  not  sanctify,  it  pollutes, 
it  corrupts.  Error  does  not  save,  it  destroys. 
What  then  is  Truth?  How  shall  we  ascer- 
tain it? 

There  are  two  means  which  we  may  employ, 
and  which  ought  to  be  combined,  that,  if  faith- 
fully used,  will,  as  I  am  persuaded,  and  can 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


2fe 


prove  to  you,  lead  us  to  all  essential  Truth,  and 
I  may,  perkaps,  safely  say,  to  all  important 
Christian  truth. 

First,  then,  in  the  interpretation  of  Scripture^ 
give  great  weight  to  that  meaning  which  has  heen 
universally  held  in  the  Church  of  Christ;  and^  in 
matters  essential  to  salvation^  in- the  groundworh 
of  the  Fait\  acknowledge  and  how  to  its  conclu- 
sive Authority, 

For,  consider  how  we  stand  in  regard  to  it. 
Our  Saviour  has  promised  the  aids  of  His  Spirit 
to  all  who  sincerely  seek  to  know  the  Truth. 
■"Ask,"  says  He,  "  and  ye  shall  receive ;  seek,  and 
ye  shall  find."  And  so  says  the  Apostle:  "If 
any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God  that 
giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not ; 
and  it  shall  be  given  him."  If,  then,  any  man 
were  purely  candid,  thoroughly  earnest,  perfect- 
ly unbiased  in  seeking  Divine  light  and  wisdom, 
it  would  be  communicated  to  him  without  any 
taint  of  error.  But  no  man  is  thus  perfect  in  the 
spirit  in  which  he  seeks  wisdom.  We  live  in  an 
atmosphere  of  opinion,  prejudice,  passion  and  in- 
terest, which  refracts  and  distorts,  to  a  greater 
or  less  extei^t,  the  rays  of  Divine  Truth  shining 
in  upon  the  mind.  No  man,  therefore,  is  right 
in  all  his  opinions,  that  is,  no  man  is  infal- 
lible. 


24 


WHAT  IS  TKUTH? 


But  yet,  he  who  sincerely  seeks  to  know  the 
Truth,  and  prays  to  be  led  to  it,  has,  by  the 
promise  of  Christ,  some  ground  to  hope  when  he 
has  arrived  at  a  conclusion,  that  it  is  a  true  one. 
A  certain  measure  of  probability  attaches  to  his 
judgment,  because  it  is  his  judgment.  But,  as 
the  promise  is  made  to  no  one  in  particular,  but 
to  every  one  who  uses  the  appointed  means,  if 
the  result  which  one  comes  to  in  the  use  of  these 
means  is  prohably  the  truth,  there  is,  at  least,  a 
double  probahility  of  the  truth  of  that  result  at 
which  two  arrive :  perhaps  more  than  a  double 
probability,  because  Truth  is  but  one,  and  error 
manifold.  When,  then,  twenty  independent  in- 
quirers, all  using  faithfully  the  means  which 
Christ  has  promised  to  bless,  come  to  one  con- 
clusion, the  probability  that  this  is  the  right, 
conclusion  is  immensely  enhanced. 

How  is  it,  then,  when  many  millions  believe 
the  same  thing  ?'  How  is  it,  when  the  great 
body  of  Christians  are  led  to  believe  in  one  in- 
terpretation of  Scripture  as  its  true  meaning  ? 
How  is  it,  when  they  come  to  this  conclusion  in 
different  countries,  states  of  society,  degrees  of 
civilization,  while  holding  adverse  opinions  on 
other  subjects?  How  is  it,  when  the  dead  are 
united  with  the  living  in  bearing  testimony  to  a 
certain  interpretation  of  Scripture,  as  that  to 


WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 


25 


which  Christ  by  His  Spirit  has  guided  them  ? 
When  to  the  present  generation,  we  add  the 
sixty  generations  of  the  past,  the  thousands  of 
thousands,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
from  the  Apostolic  age  to  our  own  day,  who, 
having  labored  in  faith  and  hope,  have  now  gone 
to  their  rest  in  peace  and  joy,  and  who,  with  con- 
siderable diversities  of  opinion  as  to  many  doc- 
trines and  usages,  have  yet  agreed  in  the  Faith^ 
in  the  principles,  the  foundation  of  Divine  Truth ; 
what  can  we  say,  but  that  these  have  obtained 
what  they  sought,  and  that  we  are  safe  in  follow- 
ing them  ? 

And  this,  too,  for  another  reason.  This  great 
"  cloud  of  witnesses,"  who  all  attest  the  same 
essential  Gospel,  comprehend  among  them  the 
purest  and  holiest  representatives  of  Christian- 
ity; the  Martyrs,  the  great  Saints,  the  men  of 
whom  the  world  was  not  worthy.  This  is  indis- 
putable, and  indeed,  is  undenied,  that  the  men 
whom  all  Christians  delight  to  honor,  were  men 
who  believed  in  the  ancient,  generally  received 
creed  of  Christendom ;  that  they  were  not  ec- 
centric in  their  religion ;  that  they  were  not 
innovators  on  the  Faith. 

What,  then,  is  the  spectacle  we  witness  ? 
That  men  believing  a  certain  form  of  sound 
words,  holding  a  distinct,  definite,  and  historical 

2 


26 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


Faith,  the  Faitli  of  all  Christian  ages  and  all 
Christian  countries ;  that  these  men  have  been 
the  champions  of  the  Cross,  most  holy  in  their 
tempers,  and  most  heavenly  in  their  lives.  But 
Jesus  Christ  said  it  was  the  nature  of  His  Truth 
to  sanctify.  These  men  were  sanctified.  What 
inference  then  is  left,  but  that  what  they  be- 
lieved is  the  Truth  ? 

The  great  Physician  tells  us  that  His  medicine 
is  to  produce  a  certain  extraordinary  result.  The 
result  is  produced.  What  can  we,  if  we  revere 
Him,  what  can  we  believe,  but  that  the  medicine 
employed  was  that  which  He  provided ;  that  the 
doctrine  which  purified,  was  the  doctrine  He 
taught  ? 

Surely  it  is  incredible,  it  is  impossible,  that 
the  Saints,  Confessors,  and  Martyrs  of  Christian- 
ity were  all  mistaken  in  the  very  groundwork 
of  that  Faith,  in  the  strength  of  which  they 
lived,  and  in  honor  of  which  they  died. 

Now,  this  united  testimony  to  the  Truth,  is 
what  we  mean  by  the  voice  of  the  Church. 
And,  that  we  may  see  that  its  authority  does 
not  rest  merely  on  the  principles  of  reason,  let 
us  remember  the  declaration  of  St.  Paul :  that 
"  the  Church  of  the  Living  God  is  the  pillar  and 
ground  of  the  Truth;"  sustains  it,  upholds  it, 
proclaims  it. 


WHAT  IS  TKUTH? 


21 


What  tlien  shall  be  thought  of  the  humility 
and  reasonableness  of  that  man,  who,  on  some 
cardinal  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  opposes  his  indi- 
vidual opinion,  or  that  of  some  little  ephemeral 
sect  to  which  he  belongs,  to  the  testimony  of  the 
general  Church  of  God  ?  Why,  the  very  act  is 
his  own  sentence  of  condemnation.  It  proves 
nothing  about  the  doctrine,  but  it  proves  much 
as  to  him ;  that  he  is  that  proud  and  haughty 
scorner,  who  is  self-disqualified  from  understand- 
ing the  Word  and  the  ways  of  Christ.  For  it  is 
"  the  meek  He  will  guide  in  judgment,  and  the 
meek  He  will  teach  His  way ; "  and  except  we 
become  "  as  little  children,"  we  cannot  enter  His 
kingdom.  This  single  consideration  is  enough 
to  satisfy  us  of  the  utter  fallacy  of  all  new-fan- 
gled opinions  in  religion ;  whether  we  call  them 
developments,  as  the  Romanists  do ;  or  discover- 
ies, as  the  founders  of  new  sects  proclaim  their 
notions  to  be. 

This  line  of  thought  applies  mainly  to  the 
Faith  ;  that  is,  to  the  elementary  and  essential 
principles  of  the  Gospel.  Concerning  these  we 
may  say,  they  are  settled  by  manifold  testi- 
monies of  Scripture,  understood  in  the  same 
sense  by  the  great  body  of  the  faithful  of  all 
times  and  countries ;  and  he  who  endeavors 
to   unsettle   them,   is   an   adversary  to  the 


28 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


Trutli  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  an  enemy  of  our 
souls. 

But,  besides  these  great  and  indispensable 
truths,  there  are  very  important  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  not,  perhaps,  essential  to  our  salvation, 
but  yet  comforting  and  strengthening  and  puri- 
fying when  made  known  to  us.  How  shall  we, 
as  to  these,  ascertain  what  is  Truth  ? 

Undoubtedly,  our  first  duty  is  to  use  diligently 
all  the  means  of  ascertaining  the  true  sense  of 
Scripture,  which  Providence  has  placed  in  our 
power.  The  God  of  Scripture,  is  the  God  ot 
Providence.  If,  then.  He  gives  us  a  book,  which 
it  is  oftentimes  hard  to  understand,  and  at  the 
same  time,  provides  us  with  means  to  under- 
stand it.  He  surely  thereby  intimates  to  us  that 
we  must  use  these  means.  A  man  who  meets 
with  some  difficulty  in  Scripture,  but  yet  makes 
no  careful  inquiry,  searches  for  no  collateral 
source  of  light,  but  leaps  to  some  explanation 
which  he  is  then  prepared  to  maintain  to  be  the 
true  one  ;  this  man,  in  effect,  has  rejected  the 
help  which  God  offers  him,  and  has  no  right  to 
believe  that  God  has  guided  him  to  his  con- 
clusion. 

God  guides  those  only  who  observe  the  way- 
marks  He  has  set  up :  and  if  the  careless  inquirer 
even  pray  for  wisdom  to  understand  the  Scrip- 


t 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH?  29 

tures,  lie  has  no  right  to  expect  a  favorable  an- 
swer to  his  prayers.  Prayer  unaccompanied  by 
the  use  of  means  is  a  mockery  of  God,  not  a 
reverent  worshfp  offered  Him.  The  husband- 
man who  prays  for  a  harvest,  w^hile  he  does  not 
cultivate  his  fields,  exhibits,  not  piety,  but  pre- 
sumption. And  he  who  seeks  to  know  the  mean- 
ing of  Scripture,  and  neglects  to  use  all  available 
means  which  may  assist  him  to  understand  it,  is 
likely  to  wander  on  in  darkness :  nay,  his  dark- 
ness will  be  the  more  profound  because  he  sup- 
poses he  has  found  the  light. 

So,  then,  when  at  a  loss  as  to  the  meaning  of 
God's  Word,  it  is  our  plain  duty  to  compare- 
Scripture  with  Scripture,  to  use,  as  far  as  we  can, 
the  labors  of  the  wise,  and  the  learned,  and  the 
pious,  who  have  investigated  the  same  subject. 
We  must  inquire  whether  there  has  been  in  the 
Church  a  settled  interpretation  of  a  doubtful 
passage,  or  a  clear  definition  of  one  that  is  ob- 
scure ;  and  if  we  find  such,  although  not  abso- 
lutely bound  by  it,  in  matters  not  "  de  fide^'^  not 
fundamental  truths ;  yet  we  must  always  respect 
it  and  allow  it  great  weight. 

Having  thus  informed  ourselves  ;  having  thus 
prepared  the  materials  for  judgment;  we  must 
humbly  and  earnestly  cast  ourselves  upon  God 
to  help  us,  and  pray  Him  to  enlighten  our  judg- 


30  WHAT  IS  TRUTH? 

ment  and  guide  us  to  the  Truth.  Then  may  we 
well  hope  that  prayers  offered  up  in  the  spirit  of 
docility  will  be  graciously  heard ;  and  that  to  us 
will  be  fulfilled  those  words  of  Encouragement : 
"  If  any  man  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God 
that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth 
not ;  and  it  shall  be  given  him." 

Now,  let  me  briefly  sum  up  what  I  have  been 
teaching. 

1^^.  That  all  moral  and  religious  truth  impor- 
tant to  mankind  and  essential  to  our  welfare,  is 
contained  in  Holy  ScrijDture ;  so  that,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  our  Article,  "  Whatsoever  is  not  read 
therein,  nor  may  be  proved  thereby,  is  not  to  be 
required  of  any  man  that  it  should  be  believed 
as  an  article  of  the  Faith ;  or  be  thought  requi- 
site or  necessary  to  salvation."  Tradition  then, 
the  writings  of  the  Fathers,  the  decrees  of  coun- 
cils and  the  like,  however  valuable  for  other 
purposes  (and  for  some  important  purposes  they 
are  very  valuable),  are  yet,  not  a  part  of  Reve- 
lation, nor  a  source  of  Divine  Truth. 

'Idly,  In  the  interpretation  of  Holy  Scripture, 
the  voice  of  the  Church,  in  all  ages,  is  always 
authoritative  and  sometimes  conclusive.  It  is 
conclusive  in  doctrines  essential  to  salvation. 
The  Church  of  Christ  as  a  whole  cannot  have 
erred  in  the  essentials  of  salvation,  otherwise, 


WHAT  IS  TEUTH? 


31 


the  great  body  of  believers  have  perished  be- 
cause of  their  Faith  ;  which  is  plainly  incon- 
sistent with  the  very  purposes  for-  which  the 
Church  was  given,  and  with  Christ's  promise  to 
be  with  it  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  that  the 
gates  of  Hell  should  not  prevail  against  it.  This 
principle  is  fatal  to  all  new  lights  in  religion, 
especially  to  such  as  bear  on  essential  doctrines. 

Zdly.  In  understanding  doctrines  not  essential 
to  salvation,  and  yet  important,  it  is  necessary  to 
use  human  means,  together  with  earnest,  hearty 
prayer  for  Divine  guidance.  And  yet  even  here, 
a  large  measure  of  respect  and  deference  is  due 
to  the  uniform  and  distinct  teachings  of  the 
Church.  Now,  the  Church  of  Christ  has  summed 
up  those  doctrines  which  she  judges  essential  to 
salvation  in  her  Creeds.  These  we  must  receive 
at  our  soul's  peril.  There  are  others  as  to  which 
her  testimony  throughout  the  ages  and  through- 
out the  world  is  also  distinct  and  plain,  although 
they  are  not  placed  by  her  on  the  same  ground 
of  necessity  with  the  truths  of  the  Creed.  These 
are  the  lawfulness  and  usefulness  of  Infant  Bap- 
,  tism,  and  of  Confirmation ;  the  Apostolic  Suc- 
cession in  the  Ministry ;  the  divine  origin  and 
obligation  of  the  Eucharist  and  the  like. 


N.C 


N-C        975.6     299B  I84I-59 


N.C  Pamphlets 


975.6       Z9S3  1841-59 

K-.^l  342894 


JHIS  VOLUME  ^0  iLDlUa 


